The Lake Tomahawk dam in June

 

Hopefully soon the orange fencing will come down.

This natural pump may be to a deeper well than just the water in the lake. I wasn't aware that it was there before the renovation of the dam. (Though previous photos do include it!)

The grass has taken root on most of the dam, which now has concrete reinforcement under it all!

 People are not being encouraged to walk up or down the dam on this slope.

Here are some shots of the iron reinforcement being placed back in April. It looks like they scraped the ground then gave it a gravel bed with this blue screen over it. 

Photo by Bob Nagan on FB

Photo from FB

From the Recreation Center

From the Recreation Center by me

I thought I'd published photos from May of the concrete being poured into concrete blocks laid on the dam with reinforcing iron holding them in place. So here are some of those photos...

The amazing red crane is actually an arm of a power hose which delivers wet concrete wherever the crew indicates.

At the top is a trough of concrete, and going down the slope you can see the various concrete blocks.

Later, more dirt put on top, then grass cloth to start grass growing (I wonder if that cloth disolves over time.

Sharing with Wordless Wednesday on Tuesday, and Tuesday Treasures and Random-osity.

Today's quote:

We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.

HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Remembering Saturday's market

 

Several of those pots are now gone...either sold or removed to make room for others that I wish to sell.

These are the last of Cathy's pottery, until she has recuperated enough to make something new and brilliant. Many friends stopped by to ask after her, and sent messages!

Another missing Mud Buddy is Bette Potter Jones, who used to sit in her chair and give the dogs treats. Several folks asked how she's doing. (She has decided not to come every Sat. and rather enjoy being at home at 90 years old!)

Friend Ellen had to go say hi to this pup. The owners said they had Golden Retrievers that missed seeing Bette (and her treats!)

The following photos are of our competition at the market.

Just 3 booths down from ours was a "day booth" set up by Cariku, the new pottery studio/school in Black Mountain. They had a mix of students and teacher's works for sale, and did a brisk business,  definitely selling to our usual customers. Grrrr!

Before the market  even opened, painters were at work on the new build across the street.

Today's Quote:

There are few uglier traits than this tendency -- witnessed in men no worse than their neighbors -- to grow cruel, merely because they possessed the power of inflicting harm. -Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (4 Jul 1804-1864)

Day trip to Cooler Climes - Part 2 of 2

 Since the restaurant was closed in Little Switzerland (where we'd planned without checking to eat lunch) we researched a restaurant about 10 miles away in Spruce-Pine, which was open and served us lovely sandwiches. 

I was distracted just a bit when we parked and I saw this - a real cutie!

It was great having made-to-order sandwiches. And the air conditioned dining room was also welcome. But I now want to take a bit of a detour from our main goals, and show you something I discovered (which I think is neat). (I'm easily diverted!)

When looking down the various long hallways to the Ladies Room, 

I discovered this...

And upon looking up, I saw the bottom of the dumb waiter! You don't run into one of these (which apparently is in working order) every day going to the Ladies!

We drove around downtown Spruce Pine, but didn't see any stores that caught our attention. This is rare with my two friends...they love to browse in gift shops. But anything of that nature was carefully hidden behind sad old looking maybe empty storefronts. I knew there was a gallery somewhere, because once I'd brought some mugs to display there. But I couldn't find it.

So then we decided to come home all the way on the Blue Ridge Parkway. That's a long drive! But even though it's just 2 lanes, there are only a few overlooks to stop at. The worst problem was caused by bicyclers, who of course had right of way, and there never ever were any passing places. The whole road is twists and turns. But our fearless driver, Teresa, was able to see far enough around the bikers to pass them safely each time.

The temperature outside our car was 69 F at one point!

We did see an accident...where we suddenly came around a curve and saw a huge wrecker on the other side of the road, with a crane cable going over the side of the mountain to pull up a car...which we couldn't even see. There hadn't been any warning coming our direction (south), but a policeman had stopped the traffic going up the Parkway...until we passed by. I saw a few brake skids on the road going off the side towards the drop-off. It wasn't mentioned on the evening news 3 hours later so hopefully everyone was alright. This was the first Parkway accident I have encountered through the years.

At one overlook we saw bare slopes where trees had been  harvested , and where probably some Christmas trees had been planted on the bare slope. Other areas just looked scalped of all vegetation, and I thought immediately of the erosion that would happen with the next hard rain.

The Black Mountains are known as the oldest mountains in America, showing as a "J" on the map of the Appalachians. Of course all the mountains in the western US are much younger, geologically speaking.

 

We drove on, and from the Craggy Garden's overlook (not at the bald at the top) we saw the Burnett Reservoir and the dam, which provides Asheville's water. A few miles later we passed the Folk Art Center. And soon we were home...talking about all our interests the whole day long. Teresa's granddaughter Madison was well behaved the whole time. 

Burnett Reservoir in the distance, with a bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway showing through the greenery.

Today's quote:

Blaise Pascal mathematician, visionary, said, “Man is equally incapable of seeing the nothingness from which he emerges and the infinity in which he is engulfed.” 

This week's critters

 Sometimes the critters just seem to pop up everywhere.

A sweet Snauzadoodle (I think) was a little bit hyper, though she had calming treats to eat, at the Center for the Arts show last week.

Pippen came to visit at the Tailgate market again last Saturday, with her mom!

And Maddie lives with my favorite hair artist, Joe. She comes to work with him sometimes too.

I had barely stepped out of my car at the parking lot of Lake Tomahawk, when I was greeted by these white ducks.  Since the pool is now open, there aren't as many parking places near the Senior Center, so I have to park at the tennis court lot...and walk a ways to get to lunch. But hey, I need the exercise!

I don't know if these tin critters count, just standing by the bookstore in Little Switzerland NC where we visited last Wed. I'll finish the second blog of all those photos soon!

Sharing with Eileen's Saturday's Critters!

Today's quote: 

 Being aware of the connection between all things can help you in terms of the broader effect you may be creating.